This invention relates generally to a quartz crystal vibrator and method of manufacture, and particularly to a miniaturized face-shear mode quartz crystal vibrator and method of manufacture. Thickness-shear mode quartz crystal vibrators, such as the AT-cut quartz crystal vibrator, currently are drawing attention in an effort to keep up with the state of the art in providing accuracy to a quartz crystal timepiece. Time accuracy has been much approved by using AT-cut quartz crystal vibrators, however, they have the following shortcomings despite fairly constant frequency over a wide temperature range.
Miniaturization of the AT-cut quartz crystal vibrator is difficult, the resonant frequency is in the MHz zone which is extremely high and power consumption is high. Additionally, it has been difficult to mass product the AT-cut quartz crystal vibrator having consistent improved time accuracy. Thus, these defects have prevented the AT-cut quartz crystal vibrator from being put into widespread use despite its stable and accurate frequency. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a quartz crystal vibrator that overcomes the above-noted defects of the AT-cut quartz crystal vibrator and will provide a low cost quartz crystal vibrator having constant temperature-frequency characteristics for use in electronic timepieces.